It was the phrase, more than the shy small words that tumbled Piper back to reality. He wanted to believe her so badly that he ached with it. but the sentence - so trusting, so small - made him feel like the worst kind of ass. He kissed her once, very hard, a kiss born of reluctance and desperation, and he stepped back.
He considered the Daniel approach, being an unmitigated jerk, and he found he couldn't. Standing there, looking at her beautiful, open face, he couldn't.
"You don't think that, Anne. Not really," he said, even though he knew the sentence made absolutely not the least bit of sense. "You just think you do."
He finally sighed reluctantly. "Read some of the old forum posts, after I'm gone, alright? Ask around."